This invention relates generally to vertical blinds of the type that are conventionally installed in residential and commercial buildings and, more specifically, to a decorative device for tying groups of slats of a vertical blind together after the blind has been drawn to the closed position with the slats rotated to the position in which they are parallel to the plane of the window covered by the vertical blind.
Conventional vertical blinds may be drawn to an open position with all of the vertical slats stacked at one side of the blind. They may also be drawn to a closed position in which all of the vertical slats are evenly spaced across the width of the window. When drawn to the closed position, the slats may be rotated in concert to a position in which they are parallel to the plane of the window, thereby completely blocking a view through the window. Alternatively, they may be rotated to a position in which they are perpendicular to the plane of the window, thereby permitting light to enter through the window. In hot climates, it is necessary to draw the blinds to the closed position and then rotate the slats to the position in which they are parallel to the plane of the window in order to block out heat from the sun. However, this position also produces the undesirable result of totally blocking the view through the window.
It would be advantageous to provide a device to be attached to a vertical blind, when it is drawn to the closed position with the slats rotated to the position in which they are parallel to the plane of the window, to block entry of some heat and light, while permitting a view through the window. This and other objects are accomplished in accordance with the illustrated preferred embodiment of the present invention by providing a sun tie having an anchor clip or pocket within which a left or right most one of a group of slats of a vertical blind is securedly retained. A group clip of the sun tie removably retains the remaining ones of the group of slats. Each of the sun ties preferably retains 4-7 slats, so that several sun ties may be required to be installed on a particular vertical blind, depending on its width.